Long An province is implementing many farming models that use advanced farming techniques and provide higher incomes to farmers..( Photo baolongan.vn)

Long An (VNS/VNA) -Many farmingmodels using advanced techniques and offering farmers higher incomes have beenadopted in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Long An.

After three years of implementation, a trial project to grow vegetables on2,000ha in Can Duoc, Can Giuoc and Duc Hoa districts and Tan An City until 2020has been hailed by local farmers for its efficiency.

Doan Phuong Nga, deputy head of the province's Sub-department of PlantCultivation, Protection and Agricultural Product Quality Management’s plantcultivation and protection division, said farmers participating in the projecthave achieved high incomes.

They have built net houses, installed efficient irrigation equipment and usemachinery for cultivation and harvest.

The use of organic fertilisers and net houses causes the vegetables to growwell and get few diseases.

The farmers also buy disease-free seedlings from selected nurseries that growwell.

They have reduced the use of pesticides and get yields that are 5-20 percenthigher than from traditional farming method and profits that are 2-5 million VND(86-215 USD) per 1,000sq.m higher.    

Doan Van Ut, a member of the Phuoc Thinh Co-operative in Can Giuoc District anda participating farmer, said he grows water melon on an area of 5,000sq.m andreceives a 50 percent subsidy on seedling and other input costs.

He harvests 3,000-3,050kg per 1,000sq.m, 200-250kg higher than normal, hesaid.

He earns 33-33.5 million VND (1,420-1,440 USD) per crop, 2.2-2.25 million VND (94-97USD) higher than from normal melon.

Dang Duy Dung, director of Phuoc Thinh, said: “Participating in the farmingmodels, the co-operative’s members both apply advanced farming techniques andget higher incomes.”

There are 10 agricultural co-operatives and 30 co-operative groupsparticipating in the project, according to the province's Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development.

Nguyen Chi Thien, deputy director of the department, said the models havereceived positive responses from farmers.

To meet the project’s targets, the department and localities would continue toteach farmers advanced farming techniques and establish model farms for them tovisit and learn, he said.

The province has 13,500ha growing vegetables, yielding annual productionof 221,000 tonnes.
Expansion
The province's Farmers Association has urged farmers, co-operatives andagricultural companies to expand the use of advanced farming techniques.

It has organised training courses for farmers and encouraged them to grow cropsto Vietnamese and global good agricultural practices standards.

It has encouraged farmers to install drip irrigation and spray irrigationequipment.

Pham Chi Tam, its chairman, said the association plans to establish 13 modelfarms that use advanced farming techniques at a cost of 3 billion VND (over 129,000USD) this year.

They include two models for growing dragon fruit in Chau Thanh District, sevenothers for growing vegetables in Can Duoc and Can Giuoc districts and two eachfor breeding oxen and cows in Duc Hoa District and planting rice in Thanh Hoaand Vinh Hung districts.

Nearly 13,400ha of rice are farmed using advanced techniques, according to thedepartment.

They use certified seeds, laser-operated land levellers, ploughingmachines, and combined harvesters.

ꦗ Farmers use organic fertilisers and bio-cides and grow flowers around thefields to attract insects that are natural enemies of brown plant hoppers, themain rice pest.

Rice grown this way fetches 4-6 million VND (172-258 USD) per hectarehigher than from normal fields.

The province has encouraged the creation of large-scale rice fields to reducecosts, increase productivity and guarantee outlets.

For the current summer-autumn rice crop, 2,677 farmers have pooled their landsto create 94 large-scale rice fields.

They have signed contracts for guaranteed purchases with 25 rice companies.

ꦓ The province plans to have 20,000ha of rice grown using advanced techniques bythe end of this year.-VNS/VNA